


Damaged at Best

by iola17



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: 5+1 Things, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gaslighting, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Past Relationship(s), Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 04:17:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20736101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iola17/pseuds/iola17
Summary: "Alexandre left him early one morning, creeping out of bed while David was still sleeping soundly. He took David’s Hublot watch and his Platinum Amex with him when he vanished, running up an almost $9,000 bill at Louis Vuitton before David could cancel the card."Five relationships that ended badly for David Rose and one that didn't.





	Damaged at Best

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea that's been bouncing around my head for a few days. A bit of a departure from my previous few fics, I thought I'd try a little angst and delve into David's background a bit. I'm sure David has been screwed over by far more than 5 people, this is just intended to be an overview of a few of those past relationships.
> 
> Erred on the side of caution for the tags but just as an additional warning: unhealthy relationship dynamics ahead.
> 
> Title is from 'Broken' by Lifehouse.

**Alexandre – 7 weeks, 3 days**

David and Alexandre met when David was 23, spending the summer in Paris. An afternoon shopping in the Avenue Montaigne quickly turned into a coffee shop date with the handsome model who’d held the door open for David at Gucci.

Alexandre was stunning. Unusually clear blue eyes had caused David to double take when he first saw them and when the other man had followed up with a smile that showed off beautiful, strong teeth, interest had flared in David’s gut.

Alexandre didn’t speak English and David’s French was passable at best but they managed to make it work with hand gestures and napkin doodles. Alexandre had admired David’s outfit and played with David’s rings when David rested his hand on the table.

They’d carried on the shopping trip after coffee; David had treated himself to a silk shirt at Valentino, persuaded when Alexandre licked his lips at the sight of him, and not even blinking at the price tag which crept into the high triple figures.

Alexandre seemed unable to stop touching David and David’s breath shortened each time this gorgeous man ran his hands along David’s arms, anticipation thrumming below the surface of his skin as the day wore on. Alexandre had dropped to his knees for David the moment they walked into David’s hotel suite like he couldn’t wait to get to David’s cock. David hadn’t even put the shopping bags down before his pants were dragged down his thighs.

They went all over Paris, Alexandre showed David all the best nightlife spots and finest restaurants (which David usually ended up footing the bill for, but Alexandre’s modelling career was still just taking off and money was tight. David understood and it wasn’t like he didn’t have the money to spare.)

Alexandre left him early one morning, creeping out of bed while David was still sleeping soundly. He took David’s Hublot watch and his Platinum Amex with him when he vanished, running up an almost $9,000 bill at Louis Vuitton before David could cancel the card.

David called the Police Nationale but they never tracked Alexandre down. Turns out the name he’d given David wasn’t his name after all.

**Regan – 6 weeks, 6 days**

David met Regan at the party of a friend of a friend when he was 26. She was pretty and outgoing with a rich, melodic laugh, nodding along sincerely when David outlined his plans for the gallery, her bloodshot eyes wide.

She was an artist herself, she said. Maybe he could look at her stuff sometime?

Riding high from the success of his most recent exhibition and the sparkling interest he could see in her eyes when she looked at him, he’d immediately agreed to set aside some time to view her work if she wanted to drop by his loft.

They’d been laughing in the kitchen when she’d suddenly taken the joint out of his mouth and replaced it with her tongue. She’d tasted of booze and weed when she snaked her hand down between them to run her fingers over his crotch, working him through the material as they made out against the kitchen island in the middle of the crowded room.

Eventually they’d gone outside away from the other partygoers and ended up pressed against the wall in a shadowed alley by the side of the apartment block, his pants pulled down, her skirt hitched up and her legs around his waist as he licked into her mouth.

They’d spent most of their time together over the next few weeks, having sex and getting stoned, days blurring into one. Regan was fun to be around, always laughing and David felt his shoulders relaxing whenever he was near her. And she told David that she’d never felt better than when they were together.

It was less than two months later, a few days after her first piece was went on display in his gallery that he found her straddling a stranger at yet another party, the other man’s hand up her shirt.

She’d laughed at David then, that musical laugh that first caught his attention, like it was all so very funny. She’d forgotten about David. Forgotten that they were supposed to be together.

**Ethan – 9 weeks, 5 days**

Ethan came into David’s life when he was 27. He was charming and friendly when he wandered into the gallery one lunchtime, asking if David could use a publicist.

He promoted a couple of events for David and it was after one of these events that they kissed for the first time as David closed the gallery down for the night. Ethan had leaned in first, David was sure of it, as much as Ethan had liked to portray David as the one who couldn’t resist Ethan when they told the story to friends.

They were together for over two months, all through the summer, when promotional events were happening almost every weekend and tourist foot traffic was heavy. Things tended to wind down a little in the fall before the winter crowds returned and wallets started opening again in preparation for Christmas so David made the most of the summertime business.

In September, a week after the last scheduled major exhibition launch for a couple of months, Ethan had broken up with David immediately after coming in his mouth.

David had sucked him through his orgasm and released Ethan’s softening cock with a final gentle kiss before starting to crawl up the bed, achingly hard and eager for his own climax. He reached for Ethan’s hand to bring it to his dick.

Then Ethan spoke. Nine words and ice flooded David’s body.

“I don’t think this is going to work, David.”

Ethan sat up and got out of bed, gathering his clothes. Feeling used and utterly mortified, David couldn’t even move to cover himself up, shame prickling his skin as he lay on his side, staring at the swirling pattern on the duvet.

David could still taste Ethan on his tongue when the door closed behind the other man.

**Sebastien – 11 weeks, 4 days**

Sebastien approached David in a club shortly after his 30th birthday, drawn, he claimed, by the interplay of light across David’s features. David was gorgeous and Sebastien would love to photograph him sometime.

They hadn’t kissed that first night but David had taken him up on his offer, visiting his studio several times over the next couple of weeks to look at Sebastien’s work, but reluctant to get in front of the camera.

Slowly, Sebastien wore him down, expounding on his vision for David until David stepped in front of the lens, moving his body as Sebastien asked.

Sebastien was overwhelming, and David was drawn to his creativity and energy, fascinated when Sebastien detailed his upcoming projects and ideas.

It was on the fourth visit that Sebastien had taken David on his hands and knees, fucking into him as he told David how unique his face was, how good the lighting made him look, how the camera enhanced David’s appearance.

David had smiled as Sebastien gripped his hips and thrust deep inside him, feeling sexy and desirable.

David knew Sebastien was seeing other people for the first month or so. He walked in on a muscled model sucking Sebastien off once and ignored the squirming nausea when Sebastien pushed David to his knees less than two hours later to do the same.

He’d breathed a sigh of relief when Sebastien finally agreed to be exclusive with him.

A few weeks later he’d been alone in Sebastien’s studio, waiting for his boyfriend to return when he’d opened the desk drawer and his body had gone cold.

He hadn’t known about these photographs. In them, David sprawled, passed out on the couch, lines of white powder on the table beside him. His position shifted from one photo to the next, his naked body manipulated to suit Sebastien’s vision.

David had been hyperventilating, fingers unable to let go of the glossy photographs when Sebastien came home.

It was art, he told David. There was no need to get so upset over it. It was beautiful and David should be honoured to be immortalised this way.

He had to take out a court order to prevent Sebastien publishing the photographs. There were more than he’d realised.

**Zara – 10 weeks, 2 days**

Zara had made David feel like he was losing his mind.

It started small. Keys moved from where he’d left them, a wardrobe door ajar where David was sure he’d shut it.

Then it escalated. Arguments started about conversations David couldn’t remember having, promises broken that he wasn’t sure he’d made. He’d visited his doctor, anxiety spiking as he worried aloud about the possibility of early onset dementia at the age of 32.

Zara had claimed he was being dramatic, rolling her eyes when he sat on the sofa, twisting his rings and insisting that he was _positive _he’d remembered to turn the shower off that morning. But the hot water had been running all day, steam had filled David’s loft while he was out and triggered the smoke detectors, causing a mass evacuation of the building and destroying several pieces of art in David’s home.

She’d shaken her head, lip curling as he stared at her, bewildered. She didn’t know why he was denying it, she said. It was clear he must have left the water on.

A couple of weeks later he’d been waiting for her at her place, sitting at the table and flipping through his journal, where he’d taken to writing everything down when Zara had come home.

Apparently she’d forgotten they had plans and she wasn’t alone. A young woman entered behind her, arms wrapped around Zara’s waist and face nuzzling into her neck.

They’d discussed this, Zara had sighed when David had questioned her. They were going to open up their relationship. Zara needed more than David could give her, especially when he was so busy with the gallery. David had protested, stomach churning. He would have remembered; he was sure he would remember that conversation.

Zara scoffed at him and the unknown woman giggled as David flipped back through his journal frantically searching for that discussion. Of course it wasn’t there and he’d left, the door slamming behind him.

There were no more lights left on or lost cell phones after Zara disappeared from his life.

**Patrick**

The longest romantic relationship of David’s life was Patrick, and Patrick made everything that came before… well, not okay, exactly, but bearable. Something that had to be survived or fought through to get to Patrick.

They’d both had their problems in the past, and they weren’t magically solved the moment they met, but Patrick looked at David like he was special, someone worth knowing and it eased something inside of David’s chest.

Patrick had gambled his life savings to go into business with David, trusting in David’s vision. Together they’d laid the foundations of a successful enterprise even before their romantic relationship began in earnest one night in a darkened motel parking lot. 

They fought and made up and there were ex-fiancées, mishandled olive branches and miscommunications obstructing them but for the first time David had someone working alongside him to clear the path. After a while, David stopped doubting the affection in Patrick’s eyes.

Patrick teased, but it wasn’t malicious. Patrick challenged him, pushed him and, above all, loved him. Patrick didn’t forget him, didn’t make him question his sanity. Curling up night after night on the sofa in the arms of this incredible man, David believed Patrick when he told him that David was what he wanted.

Somehow the ex-millionaire, fallen-from-grace gallery owner and the small-town business major had found their separate stories converging on Schitt’s Creek; the most improbable occurrence of either of their lives.

After spending the better part of two decades longing for someone to want him always, David Rose cried as the love of his life knelt down on the top of a mountain and asked him for forever.

It wasn’t always easy; these things rarely are. But, too eager to wait very long, they married just over a year later and David’s longest relationship record was broken each morning.

**(52 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 1 day)**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the residents of the Rosebudd for welcoming me in.


End file.
